


Mr. Question Mark

by sexiudreams (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Series: CBXHarum [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Blood and Injury, Developing Relationship, Doctor Kim Jongdae | Chen, Drinking, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Student Byun Baekhyun, University Student Byun Baekhyun, University Student Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 14:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15439599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/sexiudreams
Summary: Minseok's life is falling apart around him and he doesn't know what to do anymore. He rings his mother, desperate for advice and help; he dials wrong. And in comes the random stranger into his life, Mr. Question Mark





	1. Chapter 1

It's the worst day of his life for sure, Minseok thinks, choking on the taste of the cheap alcohol he had bought with the last of his paycheck. It taste like straight car diesel, but he forces it down and takes another swig before his body forgets the fact it's meant to swallow it. 

 

His job had just fired him, tired of him constantly changing shifts to make room for his other job - recording and making his first album to debut as an idol later in the year. But he'd just been called by his manager and told that the label had to drop him - he didn't promise enough potential income for them to hold him through the cutbacks. His friends had slowly drifted away from him, too busy between his studies and jobs - oh god his studies. He was failing, no matter what he did to catch up and there was talks of him losing his scholarship. He had nothing left, and his books mocked him where they sat, glinting in the weak light from the window.

 

Tears starts pouring down his face, and Minseok did nothing to stop them as he chugged harder from the bottle. He kept going, until nothing more came out and then he choked, throwing his arm to the side and howling as it smashed against the wall, splintered glass cutting into the soft skin of his palms. He watched the thick red liquid drop onto - and stain - his white sheets and he cried even more. 

 

He fumbled for his phone, having to push glass off of it and cutting his hand more, and shakily unlocked it. He typed the number he knew by heart and held the phone to his ear, still bawling. He didn't care if he was 23 years old and was meant to be an adult. He was sobbing like a child and the moment the dial tone ended and the phone was picked up, he let it out. 

 

"Mom! Mom I'm so fucked. I know it's early and I don't even know why you picked up but I've fucked up. I lost both my jobs, I have rent due in a week, I have no money left, the label dropped me, I have no friends anymore, my hands bleeding badly and it's everywhere mommy I don't know what to do."

 

Silence came from the end of the phone and Minseok blinked. "M-Mommy?" Surely his own mother wasn't ignoring him now? Did the world hate him this much?

 

"Uh." Minseok froze at the male voice speaking Korean coming back down the phone. "I'm sorry, I think you might have rung the wrong number."

 

"Oh my god I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry-"

 

"-its okay, I can. I can listen if you need someone."

 

Minseok should hang up and he knew it. "i-i don't know what to do. I moved from Korea to America for an amazing scholarship, I had a job, I had some friends, everything was going right and within the space of two days everything's gone wrong and I'm so scared."

 

"I did the same, I almost lost everything too. First of all, did you say your hand was bleeding?"

 

Minseok paused and stared at his hand, his tanned skin covered in nothing but red. "Y-Yeah. It's gotten worse theres blood everywhere oh god I'm gonna bleed to death in my shitty little apartment and my landlord will find me and won't even ship my body back home-"

 

"Hey hey take a breath. Have you got WhatsApp?"

 

"I-I yeah I do." 

 

"Okay listen to me, I want you to save this number then go run your hand under some cold water. Send me a picture on WhatsApp and then call me back - but do a collect charge so I pay for the call, you're ringing my Korean number in America, I don't know if it'll charge you but you sound like you don't need that on your bank account."

 

"O-Okay. I can do that." Minseok fumbled to end the call and went to recent calls, quickly saving the number under a swift "?" before he stumbled to his bathroom. It took him time, and a lot of falling over the furniture in his flat, before he got there. He collapsed in the bath tub, hand laying under the cold water from the tap he had managed to nudge into turning, and carefully took a photo. He sent it to ? on WhatsApp, making sure he sent it to the right person, before quickly dialling a collect charge call back to the number. 

 

The phone answered immediately. "Alright, it doesn't look too bad. Keep it under water for now. We'll check on it in a little bit, okay?"

 

"What are you, question mark, some kind of doctor?"

 

"Question mark." There was a bright bubble of laughter. "Yes, I am a doctor, actually." 

 

"Oh. What are the chance of me drunk dialling a Korean doctor in America when trying to call my mom."

 

"Maybe not everything's against you like you thought. What's going on?"

 

"Well..."

 

Time went on as Minseok explained everything. Every tiny detail, punctuated by different sobs and sniffles. His hand went numb under the cold water as he jabbered on, Question Mark listening and giving soft comfort where needed. 

 

Eventually, Minseok sniffed. "I can't feel my hand anymore Question Mark."

 

"Alright, take it out and dry it okay? Wrap a towel around it - one you don't mind getting ruined, and then just bandage it up. Can you do that?"

 

"Hold on."

 

Minseok forced himself up out of the shower, out of the bath tub and stretched the cramp out his legs, turning his phone on speaker as he stumbled to the kitchen and looked for a tea towel. He struggled with the bandaging - whether it being because he was trying one handed or he was drunk out of his mind, he didn't know. Eventually, eventually, he let out a yell and held his hand up triumphantly to Question Mark only to let out an "oh".

 

"You there?"

 

The voice came from his phone and Minseok quickly remembered he was talking to Question Mark on the phone. 

 

"Yes! Yes I did it! I tried to show you but forgot you were on my phone."

 

Another bright bubble of laughter came from the phone, and Minseok felt himself smile a little bit. There was something familiar about the laugh but Minseok pushed the feeling away to listen to him. 

 

"Have some water and get some rest. You'll need it."

 

"Question Mark?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

 

Minseok rushed back to the bathroom, barely getting his toilet seat up in time as the foul tasting alcohol made a second assault on his tongue. He heaved for what seemed like hours before delicately wiping his mouth and flushing. Stumbling back to the bathroom, he checked his phone, only to let out a wail of despair. 

 

His phone, uncharged all day, was dead, the call long gone. 

 

With no idea where his charger was, Minseok sighed softly and struggled to get a glass of water, downing it before he just lay down on the kitchen floor, falling asleep where he was. 


	2. Chapter 2

The light shining on Minseok's eyelids made him groan and roll over on the uneven tiled floor of his kitchen, pain already resounding in his head. It felt like a steady hammer beat, slamming and slamming on the inside of his skull - before he realised the banging was real. He cracked his eyes open, listening intently before he realised it was someone banging on his door. 

"KIM, OPEN UP I KNOW YOU'RE NOT IN UNIVERSITY"

 

 

Shit. What time was it? He rubbed his head and slowly sat up, grumbling a little as he struggled to his feet. "COMING"

 

He rushed through to the tiny hallway - if it could even be called as such - and pulled the door open on the chain. He peered out at his landlord, and internally groaned. 

 

Lee Sooman was an American made Korean landlord with a few small apartment buildings around down town New York, and all though they were pretty shit, they did the job well enough. Minseok had eagerly signed on to be a tenant and he never missed rent - not until the last two months that was. 

 

"Where's this month's rent money?"

 

"Mr. Sooman, I-"

 

"MINSEOK!"

 

A new voice got added into the mix and Minseok stated as his best friend appeared, laden with bags. "Oh, Mr. Sooman? You're here for Minseok's rent?"

 

"Why else would I be here? And he doesn't have it, again, do you?"

 

Minseok opened his mouth and Baekhyun fished in his bag. "Sorry that's been my fault. I got kicked out by my dad so Minseok gave me some cash to get me by, I'm so sorry." He handed over an envelope of cash and Sooman looked through it before disappearing and grumbling. Minseok shut the door and took the chain off before yanking it open. "Baekhyun!"

 

Byun Baekhyun was 22 and had met Minseok in NYU, both fellow applied music scholarship alumnus. Baekhyun had gotten the scholarship the year after Minseok and they'd met pretty early in Baekhyun's first year. He was taller than Minseok - who wasn't - and always boasted strange coloured hair; red, silver, orange. He was loud, and could be annoying, like a hyperactive puppy, but he meant nothing but well. 

 

"How the hell did you get the cash for that?!"

 

"Got it off my boyfriend."

 

Oh yeah. Baekhyun also had a secret boyfriend; Minseok was pretty sure he just had a sugar daddy. 

 

"You didn't have to do that."

 

"Well, gives you a month to move in with me, doesn't it?" He put all the bags down, yawning as he did. "You missed classes today, it's already gone 2pm and last class with Seán is cancelled."

 

Seán was their uptight dance tutor, who yelled at people for one tiny mistake and sent you out the class for even thinking you might fall over. Minseok had yet to meet a student who liked him. 

 

Sighing, he started unpacking the bags Baekhyun had brought. Stuff for hangovers, painkillers and water bottles, numerous bunches of study notes, a new bottle of cheap ~~car diesel~~ alcohol, and some changes of clothes. 

 

"What's all this for?" He settled on the couch, popping some painkillers out their blister pack and gently swallowing them down with a swig of water. 

 

"Figured you needed new clothes. When I came by earlier, I came up the fire escape and there's tons of blood in your washing pile."

 

"Didn't think to call the cops?"

 

"Saw the shattered alcohol bottle, could just make you out on the kitchen floor, I know you when you're drunk."

 

"Alright, fair." Minseok drank down more of the water before grabbing the breakfast sandwich from inside one of the bags, devouring it. "Last night was weird."

 

"What happened?" Baekhyun hopped on the couch, sipping gently from his own water bottle, and Minseok swatted his dirty shoes on his couch. 

 

"So I was depressed and drunk as hell so I rang my mom, right?"

 

"As you always do when drunk."

 

"Rang her number, somehow managed to connect to some Korean doctor who just talked me through everything." Minseok stared at his left hand, bandaged tightly, and sighed. "I never got his name. My phone died."

 

"Damn..." Baekhyun was quiet for a moment before he leaned forward, in the middle of untying his shoe. "Did he sound cute?"

 

Minseok chuckled, sipping gently. "He has this. Amazing laugh. Just this one bright loud giggly laugh. Like he's just spat out pure happiness. I wanna ring him again."

 

"Do it. Do it I wanna hear him."

 

"God you're annoying." Minseok set the water bottle down to finish his breakfast roll, staring at the coffee table. "Baek... I can't pay rent. Are you sure about me moving in with you?"

 

"Of course I am. Sure, we haven't gotten to talk much recently, but you're my best friend. I'm not just gonna let you be left alone with nothing. You need a home, I have a spare room, I'm happy for you to move in with me. Besides, it's closer to university."

 

Minseok nodded and disappeared into his room, being careful to avoid the glass this time, finding his phone charger in the bottom of his backpack and slouching on the couch. "Get me my phone off the kitchen counter?"

 

Baekhyun made a noise around his sandwich and got up, mouth still around his sandwich. Minseok chuckled and finished the last few bites of his own before leaning down, plugging his phone in to the extension cord at his feet. Baekhyun held his phone out and Minseok plugged it in and leant back, waiting for it to turn on. 

 

In the silence that followed, Minseok observed Baekhyun, eating delicately when he usually rushed food - a small gesture to make as little mess as possible in Minseok's flat. With obsessive compulsive disorder, he hated mess, and had cut friendships off because they'd purposely made mess just to see his face scrunch up and cry. Minseok smiled gently. 

 

Maybe last night he was wrong. He still had one friend left in the world. Baekhyun had been through thick and thin with him. When he had lost his college dorm just because people on the floor didn't like sharing with an _Asian_ , Baekhyun had helped him find a flat. When Baekhyun had almost lost his scholarship, Minseok had taken a week off work and tutored him in his failing subject, his grade turning to one of the highest. When Minseok's sister needed him back home, due to severe issues at work, Baekhyun had dutifully stalked all of Minseok's teachers until he got the two week note package Minseok needed to catch up. When Baekhyun had gone home for a month due to a family death, Minseok had gotten lecture information from his course leader and made a small study pack of his own over extensive notes. They were friends, no matter what. Baekhyun had just goddamn paid his entire month's rent so Minseok didn't get kicked out. Minseok smiled softly to himself, before the buzzing of many, many missed messages grabbed his attention. 

 

Minseok flicked through them, closing most notifications with a simple flick of his finger, not bothered with his group chats, before he paused

 

_? - 3 missed calls, 17 messages_

 

Smiling weakly, Minseok opened the large number of messages to read through them, flipping the finger as Baekhyun wolf whistled. 

 

_?????????_

_Where did you go??_

_I think your phone died I heard you being ill and then it cut out_

_Message me in the morning - just let me know you didn't die of alcohol poisoning_

_Good morning !_

_Hello?_

_Drunk boy_

_Oh my god_

_Stop ignoring me let me know you're okay :(_

_Did you actually die oh my god_

_I'm checking the news !!!!!_

_No Korean men found dead in apartments this morning that's good_

_Oh crap are you in classes_

_Are you embarrassed?_

_Please don't be embarrassed_

_I hope you're feeling better_

_Sorry for the spam - just hope you're okay_

 

Minseok stared at them, scrolling up and down through the messages a few times before he handed his phone to Baekhyun. "This guy listened to me cry and vomit and then sent me all this, what the heck?"

 

Baekhyun was silent reading them through for a moment. "You're gonna let him know you're okay, right? I mean, look at this the guy cares so much to send you all this to find out if you're okay! This is goals, my boyfriend doesn't even do this!"

 

Minseok smiled a little at his phone screen as it was handed back to him, and he put the water bottle down to stare at the keyboard. 

 

_Hey! I am so so sorry. My phone did die last night and I actually only woke up about twenty minutes ago or something stupid - guess I was exhausted. Thank you so much for listening to me last night, it really meant a lot. I was in a bad place and don't know what the hell I would have done. I wasn't embarrassed! Just sleeping and not a single Korean man found dead in his apartment? That's some good news after all._

 

Minseok hesitated before he hit send, finger hovering over the button. Question Mark Guy was last online an hour ago - he was a doctor, if Minseok remembered correctly - so surely he'd be busy. 

 

As he was staring at the message, a hand appeared out of nowhere, and Baekhyun pushed Minseok's thumb down. The message sent immediately. 

 

"Baek! I was checking for spelling mistake!"

 

"Bitch please you send me non understandable spelling all the time - oh my god you're trying to impress Question Mark Guy."

 

"Shut up! I just want to thank him properly and make sure it's readable-"

 

Minseok was cut out by his phone ring tone suddenly blasting out of his phone and they both stared down. 

 

_?_

 

Minseok flushed a little and Baekhyun broke into laughter. "Answer it."

 

Minseok stared at the phone in his hand and slowly dragged the answer call button across before he held it to his ear. 

 

"Drunk boy?"

 

"Question mark guy?"

 

"Oh thank god you are okay." 

 

Minseok blinked a little and leaned back in his chair. "Look, thank you, seriously, for what you did last night. You really helped me out last night."

 

"I'm glad I could Drunk Boy." 

 

Minseok laughed. "My name's Minseok, you don't have to keep calling me Drunk Boy."

 

"Minseok?"

 

Baekhyun was distracted by a text message and Minseok nodded. "Yeah, Minseok."

 

"It sounds like it suits you."

 

"Thank you, Mr...?"

 

"Is it mean of me to want you to call me Mr. Question Mark for a little longer?"

 

Baekhyun suddenly burst out into a cackle and Minseok jumped a little before focusing back on his phone call. "You know what, after everything you did for me last night, Mr. QM it is."

 

There was that soft peal of laughter and Minseok closed his eyes a little, sighing softly. "Thank you for checking on me this morning as well."

 

"It's not a problem, Minseok... Could I call you later? I have to go back to work in a moment but I... I'd like to talk with you a little more. You seem. Interesting."

 

Minseok felt his cheeks flush, and he smiled. "I... I think I'd like that."

 

"Would 9 be alright or too late?"

 

"9 would be awesome."

 

"I'll talk to you then, Minseok."

 

And with that, he hung up, leaving Minseok staring at Baekhyun wide-eyed and flushing like a schoolgirl.  


End file.
